Fence-post



L. C. PRICE.

FENCE POST.

(No Model.)

No. 538,084. PatentedApr. 2s, 1895.

roun zine NITED STATES PATENT risica.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,084, dated April23, 1895.

Application filed OGlOlJel Il, 1894:. Serial. NO. 524,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, LURENTICE O. PRICE, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greenville, Darkecounty, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fence-Posts; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention isset forth in the following full, clear, and exact description,terminating with a claim particularly specifying the novelty. Thisinvention relates to. fences, and more especially to the posts usedtherein; and the object of the same is to eect certain improvements inthe construction of metal posts especially useful in building wirefences.

To this end the invention consists in the detailed construction of suchposts, as hereinafter more fully described and as illustrated in thedrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of asection of fence, showing two of my im- `proved end posts and oneintermediate post in use therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspectivedetail of one of the end posts. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detailof an intermediate post.

In the said drawings the letter F designates a fence, here shown asconsisting of a number of wire stringere, which is supported at one endby an end post E around which the wires are wrapped or to which they arefastened in any suitable manner, at the other end by a similar post Ecarrying wire stretchers S of any approved pattern or type best adaptedto the construction of the post, and intermediately by a number of postsI. Said posts are preferably constructed of scrap-iron galvanized orotherwise treated to prevent rusting, and are about six feet in heightover all, standing half below and half above the surface of the earth,although these details are not essential. In fact, the Aprecise detailsof construction of the postsA themselves are unimportant except as tothe points enumerated in the claim appended; and I reserve the right tomake such changes therein and additions theretoV as are embraced:in-such claim.

Referring now to Fig. 2, each end post E is constructed as follows: l isthe upright body piece the upper two-thirds (about four feet) of whichstands in the plane of the fence, and three-quarters (about three feet)of this portion stands'above the surface of the earth as shown. At thelower end of this portion is formed a quarter twist 2, below which thebase piece 3, which comprises the remaining third (about two feet) ofthe body piece, extends vertically downward and stands in a planetransverse to the length of thevfence.-

At its lower end the base is given a quarter bend, 4, outward, and afoot 5 is formed which is about one foot in length and extends in ahorizontal plane under the ground away from the stretch of fence, asseen in Fig. 1. 6 is the body piece of a brace which is aboutthreeand-a-half feet in length and also stands in the plane of thefence, its upper end being connected to the body piece l by a rivet orbolt 7 and its lower end inclining obliquely away from said piece linward alongside the fence wires as seen. At a point 8 about two feetdistant from and vertically equal to the point 2, this brace-bodyterminates in a quarter twist 5 and here it is also given a slight bendinward, so that the remaining base portion 9 thereof is vertical andstands in a plane parallel with the body-base 3 and transverse to theplane of the fence. 10 is a quarter bend at the lower end of thebrace-base 9, and ll'is the brace-foot extending inward in a horizontalplane for about fifteen inches as shown, and in a direction opposite tothat in which the body-foot projects. l2 is a strut about two feet inlength, also standing in the plane ofthe fence but below the ground, andits ends are respectively bolted or riveted as at 13 and 14 to the bodyand brace at pointsjust above their twists 2 and 8. l5 is what I shallcallan upright piece, also of strap iron or inetaland also standing inthe plane of the fence. This piece is in length only about twothirdsthat of the body, and extends from the upper end thereof down to thetwist 2,being located slightly remote from and parallel with thebody-piece l, on and against the opposite IOO minus the feet andupright, and slightly narrower between its two base piecesf 2l is abody, here shown as a plaiu piece of strap iron about six feet in lengthand standing edge-on or in a plane transverse to that of the fence, withits lower half embedded in the ground. 22 is the body portion of thebrace which stands oblique and is about two-and-ahalf feet in length,extending at its upper end alongside the body 2l and in a plane paralleltherewith, and being secured thereto as at 23; while 24 is a quartertwist and bend, causing the brace-base 25 to s tand vertical and in aplane at right angles to that of the body at its lower end for about twofeet of its length upward; and 2G is the strut connected with the bodyat 27 and with the brace at 28, standing on edge in the plane of thebody 21 and the body portion of the brace 22, below the surface of theearth, and joining with the brace just above its bend and twist 24.

However, I lay no claim to the intermediate posts and they may be of anyapproved construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Although wire stretchers of any approved pattern or type that willanswer, may be used in conjunction with my improved post, or, in fact,the stretchers might be omitted altogether, I have shown one end post Eas provided with stretchersS of the spool type. But a single spool isillustrated in Fig. 2, and it comprises the cylinder 3l having endflanges 32 of aproper distance apart to stand between the body l and theupright 15. The spool is fast on a shaft 33 journaled in these membersof the post and extending through one of them sufficiently to receivepower to turn it in its bearings. I have shown the extremity of theshaft as squared as at 34, and 35 is a wrench which may be removablyapplied to the squared portion for turning the shaft and spool. I havealso shown a ratchet 3G fast on the shaft outside the post, and a pawl'37 vdetachably engaging this ratchet so as to prevent a retrogrademovement after the spool has been turned in the proper direction to givethe desired tension to the fence Stringer. At its other end, thisstringeris fastened to the opposite end post E by any suitable means, asby wrapping itaround such post ol otherwlse.

The intermediate posts I may be provided with angular slots 4l, staples42, eyes 43, or even holes 44, through any of which the striugers maypass; though I prefer the slots, since they permit the ready removal orinsertion of the wire (even if barbed) without difficulty and withoutthe necessity for remov ing the fastener or securing a free end of thewire to pass through it.

In use, it will be observed that each end post E is buried in the groundfor about half its vertical height so that the strut and all twists andbends are below the surface and completely out of sight. There is all ofbotli faces of this strut and about a foot in thevertical height of boththe body and the brace.

which standsin the plane of the fence, so that the post and the fenceare prevented from being tipped over sidewise, even by the weight of agate G shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, and which can be readily hingedto the post E since no part thereof extends beyond its vertical outeredge to interfere. Then there is all of about two feet of thebase-pieces of both the body and the brace which stands at right anglesto the plane of the fence to prevent the post being pulled over endwisein either direction; and, lastly, there are the two feet 5 and ll deeplyburied in the ground in a horizontal plane to further prevent endwisemovements of the postor its being pulled bodily or partly upward out ofposition by any means whatever.

Although the brace is at the inside of the body of the post alongsidethe fence, only its upper extremity is above the ground and visible, yetits entire length is serviceable as a brace without in the leastinterfering with the swinging of the gate.

As for the intermediate posts, they need very little bracinglongitudinally of the fence, since there is comparatively no strain inthat direction as the wires usually slip easily through the fasteners;but these posts, if constructed as above described, are each bracedagainst transverse movements of the fence as shown. The side faces ofthe body 21 do prevent longitudinal tipping of the post, as well as thefaces of the strut 26; but the faces of the brace-base 25 are at rightangles to all such faces and hence prevent lateral tipping of the postand fence.

The twists 2 and S form important details, since they present manyoblique faces to the tightly rammed ground, and prevent the up wardmovements of the members in which they occur. All parts Where thestrut-ends are connected lie in such planes that the bolts, rivets, oreven solder may take the best hold, and the twists and bends are lowerdown.

Having thus described my improved posts, I do not claim broadly a postcomprising a body, a brace, and a strut connected and arranged about asshown; but

Vhat I do claim is the specific construe tion of parts embodying therelative location of the members with their twists and bends, about asfollows:

A fence post composed of strap iron and consisting of a body whose upperportion stands in one plane and its lower portion in a plane at rightangles thereto, an oblique brace extending at its upper end alongsidethe bodyin the same plane with its lower end in the opposite planeparallel with the basepiece of the body, a strut extending alsoalongside the body and alongside the brace and secured to these members,and an upright stand- IOO IIO

ing parallel with and alongside the upper scribed my signature on thisthe 15th day of portion of the body against the other faces ofSeptember, A. D. 1894. the ends of the brace and strut and securedthereto by the same fastening means which LURENTIOE C' PRICE' 5 securethe latter members to the body, sub- Witnesses:

stantially as described. lVOLNEY MILLER, In testimony whereof I havehereunto sub- A. C. BRANDON.

